The Horror of Pink
by emuroo
Summary: Everyone has at least one relative who just doesn't know what they like and gives awful gifts. This is about Hermione's. Oneshot. Complete.


Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's JKR's. If you don't it probably still isn't mine. Hermione's views on the color pink do not in any way reflect on the views of the author. No, wait, yes they do.

Pink

"Honey, why don't you open this one next? It's from your grandmother." It was the morning of Hemione's tenth Christmas, and her mother was handing her a package as she nodded towards the woman sitting in the rocking chair.

The package was rather frightening, wrapped in paper with fluffy pink bunnies all over it. It fit Hermione's grandmother's personality perfectly. Hermione hesitated a moment before opening it, remembering past gifts from her grandmother. Every year Hermione told her relatives that she wanted books, and every year her grandmother got her something rather… frightening.

Still, Hermione, loved her grandmother, and knew that she had to open the gift. She cautiously tore the tape holding the paper, so that she could fold it neatly after she looked at her present. Finally, with a sense of dread that she did not show on her face, Hermione looked down at the object in her lap. It was a dress. It had long sleeves, and a high neckline. However, that was not what her attention focused on. The dress was hot pink, and had little pale pink hearts all over it.

Hermione forced a smile onto her face, stood, and dutifully hugged her grandmother. "Thank you grandma, it's very nice."

"Try it on dear, you can wear it to dinner tonight! I saw it in the shop and though of you in an instant. I said to myself, it's just the sort of thing that Hermione will love. And I was right, wasn't I?"

"Yes, grandmother." Hermione continued smiling, then added, "But why don't I put it on later. Let's finish with the presents first. You can open the one from me!"

Returning to her seat, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. At least that was over with for the moment. She folded the dress neatly and put it beside the pile of books that she had received from other relatives.

Hermione had certain strong views on pink, and had had them for as long as she could remember. It was rather ugly and horrifying in her opinion, and really had no right to its own name. Did pale yellow have a special word? No, it did not, and for a very good reason. It didn't need one. But pink. Urg. The whole color screamed girlyness, and ditzyness, and idiocy, and annoyance. When other little girls wore pink every day, she refused, saying that her favorite color was yellow. Pink was far too girly.

But her grandmother had somehow missed the memo. There were times when Hermione was secretly convinced that it was part of an evil plot, run by the color to take over the world. But that was illogical, and Hermione was nothing if not a logical girl. She knew that it meant a lot to her grandmother to have her wear the dress to dinner so she would. Then, tomorrow she would put it on the shelf in the back of her closet where she kept all of the pink things. There they would stay.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A few days after their wedding Hermione and Ron were finally finishing up with opening the last of their presents. At the bottom of the pile Hermione saw familiar pink wrapping. She started to laugh. "I should have known!"

"Known what?" asked her new husband curiously.

"That I'd get another item for my shelf," replied Hermione, pointing to the package.

""Hermione, I don't want to sound rude, but I still feel like I'm missing something here."

"It's from my grandmother, you remember her." She waited for his nod of agreement before continuing. "She always got me the most hideous, pink presents when I was a girl." The word pink was said with a venom that suggested that it was on about the same level of evil as Voldemort himself. " She never quite understood that I hated the color, and I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so I'd say thank you, wear them once, and then put them on the shelf in my closet. I brought the collection to your house in seventh year, when I sent my parents to Australia, and shrunk it all down. It's probably still around somewhere. I'll go find it."

With that she jumped up, and went off in search of the old gifts. A few minutes later she came bursting back into the room, holding a bag. She proceeded to dump it out on the floor, then say "_engorgio._" Instantly the objects were growing.

There quite a few and all of them were similar shades of the color Hermione hated. There were a few dresses, shirts, skirts, shoes, socks, a package of pencils, and various other items. "Well," said Hermione, looking down at the pile, "I guess that we should see what it is that we can add."

She tore the paper back, less careful now than at the age of ten, knowing now that she could use a simple spell to fold it. Inside was a baby's outfit, in pink, of course. Hermione simply stared at it in surprise. Ron noticed something in the wrapping and bent, picking up a slip of paper.

Dear Hermione and Ronald,

I thought I should get a head start for your first child.

I know that you aren't planning on having one too soon,

but by the time that you do, you'll have a good supply of clothing.

Love,

Grandma.


End file.
